Madhya Pradesh is gearing up for a highly anticipated electoral showdown as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress prepare to contest the forthcoming elections for the 230-member state assembly. However, there is growing dissatisfaction within the BJP as the party announces its list of candidates. The Times of India has reported that disappointment has arisen within the BJP ranks, particularly regarding the denial of election tickets to three loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia. Notably, OPS Bhadoria from Mehgaon, Munna Lal Goyal from Gwalior East, and Raksha Sanoria from Bhander were not included in the list of candidates.
Instead, the BJP has nominated Rakesh Shukla for the Mehgaon constituency, Ghanshyam Pironia for the Bhander constituency, and Maya Singh for the Gwalior East constituency. This decision prompted protests by supporters of Munnalal Goyal, a prominent BJP leader, outside the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior. Goyal, who had previously represented Gwalior East, was not granted a ticket in the BJP’s fifth list, which featured 92 candidates for the November elections. In an effort to address the protesters’ concerns, Jyotiraditya Scindia personally visited the palace gate and expressed his solidarity with them and Munnalal Goyal.
In a conversation with the news agency ANI, a supporter of Jyotiraditya Scindia stated, “We have come here to make an earnest appeal to Scindia to consider changing the candidate for Gwalior East and nominate Munnalal Goyal. We firmly believe that no other candidate can secure a victory in that constituency. The current candidate is facing physical limitations, and we fear that we might unintentionally be handing the seat over to Congress. This deeply concerns us, and it is the reason we are making this request. Our concern is not with the party or the current candidate; our primary goal is to ensure the party’s success…”
During the 2018 elections, Munnalal Goyal, who was then associated with the Congress party, emerged as the winner in the Gwalior East constituency. Subsequently, Goyal, along with several MLAs who were loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia, resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP in March 2020. This political shift played a significant role in the downfall of the Congress-led government under Kamal Nath. However, in the 2020 by-election, Goyal, contesting as a BJP candidate, faced defeat in Gwalior East against the Congress candidate, Dr. Satish Sikarwar. Expressing his disappointment at not being granted an election ticket, Goyal conveyed his frustration that the ticket had been awarded to a candidate who had been detached from active engagement with the people for several years. He stated, “I am planning to have a discussion with the party leadership about this matter.” Goyal underscored his dedicated five years of service to the people, as reported by PTI.